sykesix: "Our current example would never work for an IRA. There is a $5500 per year contribution limit. So there is no way you make an initial deposit of $10,000 and then contribute $12,000. Which brings me to the next point. For most of the history of the IRA, the contribution limit has been under $2000/year. There's virtually no way an average investor gets to $3,000,000 without either being extraordinarily lucky or more much likely 2) gaming the system."

Or 3) rolling over a large 401k plan to an IRA, no gaming the system involved.